owens



J. B. OWENS.

MEANS FOR COOLING TUNNEL KNNS.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30| 1919. l

Patented May 10, 1921.

2` SH EETS--SHEET I.

j. B. OWENS.A

MEANS FOR COOLING TUNNEL KILNS.`

APPLICATION FILED DECSO, |919. '1 ,377,522, Patented May 10, 1921.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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MEANS' non .COOLING TUNNEL-Knus.

T 0 all fw hom it, may con cern- Be it known 'that I, JOHN B.

citizen of the United States, residingjatL Zanesville, in the -county of Muskingum` and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Means 'for Cooling Tunnel-Kilns, of which the followingV is a specification. u v f' In a tunnel kiln thejcontinued `intense heat in the heat Zone after" daysof operation has a tendency toV affect the yrails` in the tunnel andthe wheels of the cars which carry the goods or ware Vbenne; burned, ren*A dering it difficult to pushk the cars in the kiln, as there is a tendency inthe rails to buckle and the wheelsgto become VVdistorted.

These troubles sometimes render it necessary f to close down the kiln until repairs are madethus entailing expense and diminishing production. Overheating of the rails and wheels` of the cars is caused by the brickwork `on the inside of vthe heating kzone becomingr excesf sively hot and radiating this excessive heat into the 'space below the`car platforms.

One ofthe objects of my invention is to vprovide improved means for cooling the walls of the kiln andthefbrickwork'under the combustion chambers, .forgthepurpose of minimizing the foregoing tendency., u With that end in view I provide air-circulating ducts, passages, pipes, or'other conduits in the walls ofthe kiln. opposite the space below rrthe car platforms and, additionally thereto, other lines, ducts, pipes'or conduits in the brickworkfunder the com.- busition chambers.r `Embodiments o-ffmy imiproved cooling meansgare hereinafter described andappear inthe accompanying drawings but the showing thereof is to be considered as illustrative,y and not restrictive, of the scope of the invention as modi'- lied arrangements could be ,resorted` to;

The air circulating fines or Aconduits in the walls ofthe tunnel kiln may extend from the exit or cooling endy of the.v kilnto the stack, or, they may originatey in the Lregion of the combustion chambersor just beyond them toward the cooling Zone and run. to. the stack. The cooling fluejs or'con'duit-s in the brickworkunder the combustion 'chambers may be openy at-both ends allowingy the air to pass lfreely therethrough, or, these flues maybe connected to the-coolingdiues 'orA conduits in the-walls of' thekilm Ijde- .one embodiment of my invention; I

line 2-l` 2,

Specification ofrLette'rs Patent. l Patented 1921.. vi Application aiedneqeynberradieie. semaine. 548,412.

sind there may be branchlues connecting Y* i with ues under the combustion chambers, such branch fines admitting air to the aforesaid lues. yThe yarrangement, of branch lues may be used whether the flues under the combustion rchambers' are connected" to I l are in the sides ofthe chambers so that the firing is. atright angles tothe length of thetunnel, partition walls may be provided between the fuel openings, .said walls ex- These partiand derivation of heat units to be obtained f in the combustion chamber without kdamage f. to the goods'on the carswhen they arrive oppositethe ccnnbnstiori'v chamber. rIf preferred,the combustion chambers may be fired .longitudinally, that is, in the direction oftheir lengths, as set forth, for in- .which arekabove recited; The partitions, instead of .rising to the. crown kof. thek arch,

may stop short thereof but still rise to.v meet ,the baiiie, if desired.4 .These partitions may entend from the outer 4part of the arch to a serviceable distance from the car contents.

the accompanying drawings,

. Figure 1 is a horizontalY section of a tunnel kilnvon line Ile-1, Fig. 2, provided with Fig:` 2 'Figi f A Fig. 3 -is a detail horizontal. section showyips/,a cross section on ends.. ofthe-cooling ducts originate a-tfthe exit. end;k 0f the burning zone; A

Figs. 4, 5, 6, detail horizontal sections `showing mod,e,el arrangements of the Cool-` V"tending ink generaltransverse rela.,tionshplrk vto the combustion chamber.y

tions willv enable a maximum combustion v ying av'modificationwhere theair admission f kiln, whether of the single or multiple zone class, and theyV are illustrated inconnection with kilns such as set forth and, clainied iu -earlier applications hereinbefore recited,

their use is not restricted to the @wens vkiln as they may be embodied in Vother Ltunnel kilns.

In the present instance my improvements are shown embodied in an Owens kiln having a tunnel 1, stack 2, rails 3 on which the cars ybearing the clay products or ware, travel. `The entrance end of the kiln vappears at 4 and the exit end at 5,7the preheating zone is shown at 6, the multiple firing Zone at 8, S, 8, andthe cooling. Zone atp7. The oppositely disposed combustion chambers 9 arearranged in pairs to provide the multiple firing zone set forth in my earlier applications, but there may be a greater number of zones than those shown. The oppositely arranged combustion chambers 9 are connected by a single arch 10 constituting the crown o-f the tunnel andthe outer walls of the said combustion chambers. I may, or may not, employ baflies such as shown at 11, when the present improvements areprovided in a tunnel kiln. The lioors or benches of the combustion chambers 9 appear at 12, and the openings-13 afford communication between the combustion chambers and the interior ofthe tunnel.

The combustion chambers may be fired longitudinally by thD introduction of oil or fuel gas at 14, as proposed in lmy earlier applications. Tf preferred, however, fuel gas may be introduced, with air in'suitable volume, through ports or openings 15 extending from the sides of the arch 10 through'said arch to deliver the fuel gas transversely of the combustion chambers 9.

.lVhen this'latter delivery of the fuel gas is used, I `preferablyA subdivide the chambers 9 into a plurality of compartments 16 by providing partitions 17. The fuel gas may be delivered upwardly through the floors or benches 12 'as shown at 18, if desired. This delivery may be resorted to in connection with the delivery of the fuel gas through the openings 15, or, in lieu thereof. The delivery of the fuel gas intol compartments within the combustion chambers 9 insures better combustion and the delivery ofthe heat and product-s of combustion to the clay productsor ware 19 in a manner which will minimize damage thereto. e

The platforms 20 of the cars having the wheels 21 which run on the rails 3, lie substantially in line with the floors or benches 12.

The arch 10, in each-instance, serves-the Vheat developed in a tunnel kiln may, after Va certain period of operation, bring the walls of the tunnel 1 to such a temperature by heat radiated therefrom into 'the space 22 below the car platform 2O that the rails 3 will buckle and the wheels 21 become distorted, rendering it difficult to-push the cars through the kiln and necessitating closing down of the kiln until repairs may be made. This tendency is observable in the firing or heat zone 8, 8, 8, where the temperature is highest. For the purpose of cooling the walls of the tunnel 1 and to overcome the excessive temperature brought about in the space 22 by radiation from said walls, I provide liues, ducts, conduits, or the like, 23, running lengthwise in said` walls. These dues, ducts, or conduits may extend from the extreme exit end 5 of the kiln to the stack 2, there being a suitable cross flue 27-1 to conduct the air from the flue in the wall farthest from said stack, to said stack; The flues 23 are open to the outer airat 25. This construction is shown in Figs. '1, 2, 4, 5, 6. If preferred, the lines 23 may originate at the exit end of the firing vor heat zone S and open out laterally through' the walls 1 as at 26, Fig. 3, thence running to the stack 2. Extending through the brickwork under the floors 12 are other liues, ducts or conduits 27 for the purpose of providing additional free circulation of air through said brickwork to cool the saine and reduce the temperature of the walls where they face the heat zone 8, as the temperature in the heat zone isthe highest at this point of any part of the length'of the kiln. As shown in Figs. 1, 11, 5, the flues,'ducts or conduits 27 open out through the end "faces of the brickwoik.

These flues or ducts 27 may be cross-connected with the flues 23 by branches 28. Additional air supply may be obtained by providing a number of branch air admission or inlet ducts or flues 29 leading from the side of each'arch to the flues 27. This latter construction may be used whether flues 27 are connected to theflues 23 or are separate therefrom. This construction is shown in Figs. 2, 4, 5, G.

Other arrangements and `modifications may be resorted to in accomplishing the cooling. of the walls of the tunnel 1 and the brickwork of the benches 12 under the 'combustion chambers 9, and I do not limit myself to the precise embodiments of the cooling means herein described and which are shown in the drawings.

To assist in maintaining suitably low temperature iii the'space 22 there'inay be Vprovided ports, ducts, or conduits 30 which pierce the lower partsfof the walls of the tunnel and communicate wgfithY the space .22,

allowing outer air to flow directly into said space 22. While I have shown these yports 30 at certain points of the length of the tunnel, I do not limit myself toany particular points for the location. v n

Referring to Fig. 7, to take off the fair from the space 22 below the car platforms, there is provided the draft outlets 31, 31,

extending through the tunnel walls andk communicating with said space 22 and the down-fines 32. The down'flues 32A communicate with the cross flue 24avhich leads'to stack 2. y

If preferred, the draft p orts 33 which take off the heat fromjthe tunnel above the` car platforms, may be extended downfwardly as at 34 (shown by dotted lines) to 3. A tunnel kiln provided with air rflues y or ducts extending lengthwise within its walls and located opposite the space below the platform of the ware conveying means said flues or ducts being connected to the stack or other draft inducing means for the kiln.

L1. A tunnel-kiln having oppositely disposed combustion chambers provided with floors or benches, and coolingfiues or ducts in said benches located opposite the space below the platforms of the ware conveying means.

5. A tunnel kilnhaving oppositely disposed combustion Vchambers provided with iioors or benches, and cooling flues or ducts in said benches located opposite the space below the platforms of the ware conveying means, said air flues or ducts extending from one end of the bench to the other end thereof for the free circulation of air therethrough.

6. A tunnel connected to the air fines or ducts aforesaid.V 7. A tunnel kiln having cooling air ues kiln having oppositely disf posed combustion chambers provided with' floors or benches` and cooling flues or ducts l or ducts located in its walls-Opposite the space below the platforms of the Ware con-y ;veymg means vand extending lengthwise of the-tunnel opposite the burning or firing zone, said kiln having combustion chambers provided with floors or benches, and addi.- `tional coolingy air flues or ductslocated 1n the benches opposite the space below the platforms ofthe ware conveying means.

V8. In a tunnel kiln having a tunnel through which theware may be conveyed andy which is provided with a combustion fchamber at itsl side said chamber being in communication with the interior of the tun# nel, afplurality of ports or openings for the 'admission of fuel, gas into said combustion cham-ber 1n general kcrosswise relation thereto. f

9. In a tunnel kiln provided with a com l bustion chamber at its kside which is in comp v ymunication withv the interior of the tunnel, a plurality of ports or openings for the admission of fuel gas in general crosswise relation to said combustion chamber, said combustion chamber being provided with partitions subdividing it into a plurality ofv ycompartments with. which said ports or openings respectively communicate whereby combustion ymay be carried on in kthe respective compartments.

10. In a tunnel kiln, a combustion chamber located at the side thereof which isr provided with a yplurality of compartments, each opening into theinterior of the tunnel, and means for carrying Aon combustion in the several compartments.

11. A tunnelkiln having air draft-inducing means acting on the entire length of the tunnel, means for taking off the draft which is subject to said draft-inducing means, and

supply openings extending through its walls f and admitting `air intothe'space in which the running gear of the cars travel 12. A tunnel kiln having air supply openings extending through its walls for admitrting outer air to thek lower section of the `tunnel at various points Lof its length, and

a stack communicating with both the'uppery and lower partsof sai-d tunnel.

13. A tunnel kiln having ay preheating zone, a firing zone, and a cooling zone, means forinducing draft lengthwise within the' tunnel, and flues leadingfrom the space below the cars to rsaid dra-ft-inducing means.

14. A tunnel lkiln having a preheating Zone, a firing zone, and a cooling Zone, means for inducing draft lengthwise within the tunnel,- and flues leadingy from the lspaces above and below the kears to said draft-inducing means.

In testimony whereoflI aflix my signature.

f JOHN B. owENs. 

